---
title: "Awesomenauts: Beginner-to-Advanced Guide"
game: "Awesomenauts"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/awesomenauts"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Beginners", "Maps", "Settings"]
summary: "This guide covers where Awesomenauts stands after Atari's 2025 premium relaunch, how a match works, roles and beginner-friendly Nauts, maps, upgrade loadouts, and team play. Researched September 2026 — current as of…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/awesomenauts-beginner-to-advanced-guide-6590560d"
published: "2026-09-27T20:12:46.762Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T20:12:46.762Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Awesomenauts: Beginner-to-Advanced Guide

This guide covers where Awesomenauts stands after Atari's 2025 premium relaunch, how a match works, roles and beginner-friendly Nauts, maps, upgrade loadouts, and team play.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 5.0.1a (31 December 2025), following Atari's October 2025 premium relaunch. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Current State (2025 to 2026)

Awesomenauts had a rough few years. Here's the short history:

| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Original release by Ronimo Games (consoles in May, PC on 1 August) |
| 2013 to 2016 | Starstorm expansion (crowdfunded in 2013) and Overdrive expansion (3 March 2016) |
| 24 May 2017 | The PC version went free-to-play |
| August to September 2023 | Ronimo declared bankruptcy (August 2023) and the original servers were closed (15 September 2023) |
| 2023 to 2024 | Atari took over the game (Atari's January 2025 post dates its acquisition to "last October") |
| January 2025 | Rolled back to version 3.2.8 for stability, missing several Nauts and features |
| June 2025 | Premium relaunch build on the "premium-beta" branch |
| 28 October 2025 | Premium version moved to the main branch |
| 31 December 2025 | Update 5.0.1a (performance, invisible-character fix, skin unlock fixes) |

**What you get now:**

- The game is **premium again** (listed at $19.99 for new buyers at relaunch). Existing owners updated for free.
- **All characters unlocked**, including the **Starstorm** and **Overdrive** expansion content, which is now part of the base game.
- Previously removed content and skins are back (the January 2025 3.2.8 rollback had temporarily pulled Nauts such as Snork Gunk, Qi'Tara, Commander Rocket, Smiles, Dizzy, and Samuel "Deadlift" Gains), and **in-game chat is re-enabled**.
- Update 5.0.1a also fixed the special skin unlocks for **Creeper Clunk** and **Augmented Ayla**, so check your armory if those failed to unlock before.
- **Moderation** has three strikes: a one-week timeout, then a one-month timeout, then a permanent ban. Reports go through the ticket system in the Atari Club Discord.
- Some achievements that became impossible were **removed** (Rings for the Sky 1-10, Master of the Universe!, Awesomenauts roll out!, Welcome back!). The SlowWolf Announcer, formerly tied to "Welcome back!", is now available to everyone. That means 100% achievements is possible again.

## Quick Start

1. **The goal is to destroy the enemy's Solar Collector** (their base core). Get there by pushing through each lane's turrets.
2. **Solar is your currency.** You earn it from droids (creeps), kills, and Solar pickups around the map. Spend it at your base shop on upgrades.
3. **Never push a turret without droids.** Turrets target Nauts when no friendly droids are soaking the shots. Walk in behind your droid wave.
4. **Go home to heal and shop.** Your base heals you and it's where you buy. Teleporting home is safer than limping around.
5. **Pick a role your team needs.** A good team has some mix of damage, sustain (healing or tanking), and control.
6. **Collect health and Solar on the map.** Health packs and Solar pickups respawn. Knowing where they are wins long games.
7. **Fight with your team.** Three Nauts together beat three Nauts arriving one at a time.
8. **Learn two or three Nauts well** rather than dabbling in all of them.

## How a Match Works

- **Teams:** 3v3 (Red vs Blue) on a 2D side-scrolling map with lanes, usually top and bottom.
- **Droids:** Waves of AI droids march down the lanes. They tank turret shots and give Solar when killed.
- **Turrets:** Each lane has turrets guarding the way to the base. Destroying them opens the path and gives your team Solar.
- **Solar Collector:** The final objective in each base, guarded by base defenses.
- **Leveling:** Buying upgrades is your progression within a match. There's no permanent stat power between matches.

### The shop and loadouts

- Each Naut has an **auto-attack**, **two abilities**, and a **utility** row (health, movement speed, and similar general upgrades), and each has several upgrades to choose from.
- Before a match you set up **loadouts**, a limited set of upgrades you can buy in that game. Build loadouts for different situations (vs healers, vs tanks, and so on).
- **Upgrade order:** Most players get a core damage or survival upgrade early, then build toward their Naut's main combo. Health and movement upgrades are rarely wasted.

## Roles and Beginner-Friendly Nauts

| Role | What you do | Beginner picks |
|---|---|---|
| Pusher / ranged damage | Clear droids, poke, pressure turrets | Sheriff Lonestar, Derpl Zork (siege mode), Raelynn (sniper) |
| Assassin / diver | Pick off isolated enemies | Leon Chameleon (cloak and tongue grab), Froggy G (dash) |
| Tank / bruiser | Absorb damage and start fights | Clunk (explode and bite heal), Skølldir (grab and throw) |
| Support / healer | Heal, shield, control | Voltar (heals and drones), Yuri (flying support), Genji (butterfly shield) |
| Controller | Area denial, slows, displacement | Vinnie and Spike (smoke cloud), Gnaw (weedlings) |

### Starter recommendations

- **First Naut:** **Sheriff Lonestar** or **Clunk**. Both are simple and forgiving, and they teach lane fundamentals.
- **Learning to kill:** **Froggy G** teaches engages and disengages.
- **Learning to support:** **Voltar**. Keep your team alive and the game is much easier.
- **Advanced:** **Leon Chameleon** (stealth decisions), **Raelynn** (positioning), **Swiggins** (anchor control).

## Maps

The classic competitive maps include **Ribbit IV**, **AI Station 404**, and **Sorona**, plus **Aiguillon**. Community tournaments (such as Nutty Nauts 6 in 2023) have also used reworked versions of **AI Station 205** and **Starstorm** maps.

Each map has its own quirks (hazards, jump pads, special Solar sources, or map events). Learn:

1. Where health packs and Solar pickups spawn.
2. Safe paths back to base.
3. Where enemies ambush on each map.

## Laning and Macro Play

- **Early game:** Last-hit droids for Solar, collect pickups, and don't overcommit. Two-versus-one lane pressure is fine when your teammate is roaming for picks.
- **Turret control:** Push turrets only with droid support or when the enemy is dead or away.
- **Rotations:** When the enemy is down a Naut, group and push the nearest turret.
- **Teleport home** when low instead of dying. A death gives the enemy Solar and time.
- **Snowballing:** Leads compound. When you're ahead, keep up map pressure. When you're behind, defend under your turrets and farm.

## Team Fighting

- **Focus fire.** Pick one target and kill it together.
- **Protect your healer.** Healers keep fights winnable.
- **Save crowd control for key moments**, like stopping an enemy dive or catching a fleeing Naut.
- **Peel for your damage.** Tanks should shield carries rather than chase kills.
- **Know your cooldowns.** Fights are won in the window where the enemy's key ability is down.

## Modes and Features

- **Online matches** (3v3) with matchmaking, and **custom games**.
- **Local splitscreen** for up to 3 players, online or offline.
- **Bots** for practice.
- **Map editor** with **Steam Workshop** integration. Build and share custom maps and game modes.
- **Awesomepoints** unlock customization options such as skins and announcers.

## A Practice Routine for New Players

1. **Bots first.** Play a few bot matches with your chosen Naut to learn its combo, range, and jump arc without pressure.
2. **Loadout drafting.** Build two loadouts per Naut, a standard one and a survival one, and name them clearly so you can switch in the lobby.
3. **Last-hitting drills.** In early lane phases, focus only on securing droid kills and pickups. Solar lead wins games more often than early kills.
4. **Watch your deaths.** After each match, ask why you died. It's usually overextending, fighting without droids, or ignoring an enemy you'd lost track of.
5. **Learn a second role.** A Naut in a different role lets you fill whatever the team needs.

## Settings Worth Checking

- **Controls:** Rebind abilities to keys you can hit while moving and jumping. Controller play is fully supported and popular with splitscreen players.
- **Announcer:** The SlowWolf Announcer is now available to everyone (it used to be tied to the removed "Welcome back!" achievement).
- **Chat:** Chat is enabled again since the relaunch. Keep it civil, because reports are acted on under the three-strike rule.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Diving turrets alone.** Turrets hurt. Always bring droids or teammates.
- **Not buying upgrades.** Spend your Solar when you go home, since unspent Solar does nothing.
- **Chasing kills too far.** Overextending leads to getting picked or turret-shot.
- **Ignoring pickups.** Health and Solar pickups are free resources.
- **Playing five Nauts badly** instead of two or three well.
- **Being toxic in chat.** Chat is back, and so is the three-strike moderation.

## Advanced Tips

- **Solar tempo:** Plan base trips so you arrive with enough Solar for a meaningful upgrade.
- **Vertical space:** The 2D map lets you attack from above or below. Many abilities and jumps use this.
- **Wave management:** Holding a droid wave near your turret sets up a later push.
- **Counterpick loadouts:** Keep a loadout ready against healer-heavy or stealth-heavy teams.
- **Ambush spots:** Every map has predictable routes to base. Stealth and burst Nauts can lurk there.
- **Communicate:** A simple "going top" or "I'm low" prevents most lost fights.

## FAQ

**Is Awesomenauts still online in 2026?**
Yes. Atari relaunched it as a premium game with restored online play. The premium build reached the main branch on 28 October 2025, and Update 5.0.1a followed on 31 December 2025.

**Do I need to buy the Starstorm or Overdrive DLC?**
No. Both expansions are now included in the base game, and all characters are unlocked.

**Is it free-to-play?**
Not anymore. It was free-to-play from 2017, but the 2025 relaunch made it premium again (listed at $19.99 for new buyers at relaunch). Owners before that got the update free.

**Why can't I get some achievements?**
Atari removed achievements that became unattainable after the relaunch changes, so 100% is achievable again.

**Can I play offline or with friends locally?**
Yes. Local splitscreen supports up to three players, and bot matches are available.

**How do I report a toxic player?**
Through the ticket system in the Atari Club Discord server, per the official announcement.

## Sources

- [Awesomenauts on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/)
- [Awesomenauts Steam News: premium relaunch, achievement update, Update 5.0.1a](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/204300)
- [Awesomenauts on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awesomenauts)